Trump just blew up 'infrastructure week'

(Image credit: Mark Wilson / Getty Images)

published 22 May 2019

So much for that surprise bipartisan infrastructure success in April.

Weeks after President Trump, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), and Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) cordially sat through a meeting and agreed that the government's new infrastructure package would require about $2 trillion in funding and investments, the president is putting the deal on hold. The trio met again on Wednesday, but Trump abruptly left the meeting, and as he passed reporters on the way out, told them that he would not negotiate with Democratic leadership until several House and Senate committees ceased investigating Trump and his administration.

Trump said he told Pelosi and Schumer he wanted to work with them on infrastructure, but not "under these circumstances." He then called an impromptu press conference, where he reiterated many of his opinions that he frequently shares on his Twitter account — namely that there was no collusion between Russia and his 2016 presidential campaign and that the Democratic-led investigations were part of a grand hoax. He said he respects the oversight role of Congress and the courts but claimed "what they've done is abuse."

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Explore More

Tim is a staff writer at The Week and has contributed to Bedford and Bowery and The New York Transatlantic. He is a graduate of Occidental College and NYU's journalism school. Tim enjoys writing about baseball, Europe, and extinct megafauna. He lives in New York City.

Subscribe to The Week

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox